On Monday, Oct. 26, Indonesia’s President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will meet with officials of the Freeport McMoRan mining company. Freeport, which runs what at among the world’s largest copper and gold mine in West Papua. The mine is Indonesia’s largest revenue generator. Monday’s meeting are part of negotiations about the renewal of Freeport’s licence, including a new split of the mine’s revenue. Revenue that rightfully belongs to the West Papuan people.

In a rigged process, Indonesia with U.S. support seized West Papua in the 1960s. After the bloodbath that brought the U.S.-backed Indonesian dictator Suharto to power, Freeport moved in to start mining in West Papua. The mining is devastating to the peoples of the territory, poisoning land and water. It has also been highly disruptive to their way of life. Indonesia’s police and military have competed to provide security for the mine, with the local people caught in the middle.

While Indonesia’s Jokowi has promised a new deal for West Papua, many of those promises remains unfulfilled. Political prisoners remain in jail and the rules governing media access remain unclear. West Papuans advocating for freedom face harassment, arrest or worse. Expanded "development" projects threaten indigenous rights and livelihoods. Indonesia continues to rebuff appeals for direct dialogue with the independence movement.